Tile-fettling machine



June 23, 1925.

A. w. CRISTIANI TILE FETTLING MACHINE Filed nec. 15, 1922 if C 2M z U.. I ......h.......\...w. w47

ATTORNEYS.

A. W. CRISTIANI TILE FETTLING MACHINE June 23, 1925.

Filed De.V 15, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 l Anale/vins.

Patented June 23, i925).

UNITED Ns'rArEsf PATENT OFFICE.

`.IINCLIIONY W. CRISTIANI, or RED BANK, NEWWJERSEY.

TILE-FETTLING MACHINE. Y

Application mea December 15, 1922.` serial N0.1eo7,o53.

for smoothing the rough edges vor atile which are caused by surplus material adhering to the edges YduringY the pressing operation in a tile press due to the imperfect engagement and wear of the die members which form the tile. vThe smoothing operation, commonly called fettling7 or edging of tile, has been heretofore done manually by rubbing the edges with sand paper or other suitable abrasive. 'K

rIhis machine includes a Jram'e having an endless conveyor which is adapted to receive tiles and automatically convey them yinto engagement with abrading devicesl mounted on said frame which remove excessfdust7 from the edges of the tile so as to smooth the same, the tile having engagement with the conveyor. In the construction shown in said co-pending applicatien the abrading elements are stationary and the resistance thereof to the passage of thetile beneaththem caused by the engagement of the tile with said elements is sometimes such as to overcome the Ipriotion of the engagement of the tile with the 'conveyor `so that the conveyor slips beneath the tile and movement or the tile is impeded, and when the upper faces of the tile are warped as is the case in some methods of manufacture, the abrading devices do not' eiectively and evenly remove surplus dust due to the curved edges ot the tile.

One cb'ect ot this invention is to provide a vtile ettling machine including ysuch an endless conveyor for the tile and a plurality of sets er abrading devices for I'ettling the tiles to which the tiles are successively conveyed, the first set or abrading elements being or a construction to remove the major portion ot' the excess dust on the edge ofl the tile with a minimum resistance to movement or the tile and the second set of abrading elements serving to removev the remaining portion of the excess dustwandsmooth and-finish the edges, whereby the resistancef onlyr a frictional of. each set of abrading elements may be the minimum and ensure against movement v of the tile being impeded. Y

t Another object-is to provde'a novel and improved abrading device which will eRectively remove the majorjportion of" the" dust from the edge of' the tile with a mlinimum resistance to movement of the ti e.

Further objects are to provide means for increasing the frictionalengagement of the tile with the conveyor as the tile are moved into engagement with the abrading devices to ensure against movement of the tile being impeded as they areoperated upon by the abrading devices, to do this by means for exerting pressure on the upper sides of thev tile 'tending tokforce them into tight `frictional engagementfwith the conveyor; and

evenly fettled .throughout their. lengths.

Other lobjects are ,to providemeans for adjusting the said pressure to ensure against and advantages as maybe brought ,out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a top plan view of a tile Ifettling machine constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same used in connection with a conventional tile press;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine; i

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Figure @is-a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5is an enlarged detached elevation of one of the revoluble abrading devices: y

Figure 6 is aldetached enlarged side elevation of one of the mountings for the presy trame of the machine which are adapted to be supported in any suitable manner in a substantially horizontal position. In the present instance I have shown one end of the frame supported on the bed of a tile 75 to utilize the same means for manipulatingV warped tile so that thecurved edges willbe CII press A,-and the othei-endof the frame rvsupported by means of posts 2. An endless conveyor is mounted longitudinally of `the frame, and in the present instance I have shown the conveyor in the form of a belt 3 Which passes around a roller 4 at Athe v'press end of the frame and around a drive roller 5 at the other end ofthe frame, the drive roller 5 being connected by means of a belt 6 and 4pulley to asuitable vsourceA of power. Intermediate the ends'of the lower reach of ythe belt 3 a belt tightener idlerrl'oller 8y may bef'adjustably mounted onthe sides 1 of the frame in any 'suitable manner," as by means of )the bolts 9 passing through a slot 10 in the 'support 11 in Which'theroller Sis jourllale'd.

The sides 1 areconnected at spaced intervals in v their lengths by means'of angle iron braces 12'Wliich extend transversely lof the frame,'as shovvn in Figures 1 and'Q, the said members 12`bei`ng, spaced ffro'mfthe top of the 'fiame, `as shov'vn.A in Figures land 3. Supported on thel saidbra'ces `12 are a'plurality'of 'guides 13 and 111 lspaced transversely of the? belt` and extending /longitudi'nallyv thereof,v The'guidesfl are arrangedat op- "posite'edges of thebeltB ai'id'tlie'guide 1al-A isV Ippsit'i(ined substantially 'centrally pf vthe belt betweenthe .guides 13. VThe guides 13 and 14 Vare slightly spaced above the, belt 3, and vat the end of themachine 'connectedto tlie'pressfi-L the guidesarespaced -s o as to fdrr'n.*guicleways" 15A bet-,Ween their adjacent edges to 4receive tiles Bendvvise from the press, as shoyvn in Figure/2. The extremities offthe guides are preferably Ibeveled v'as at 16 to provide a flaredniouth for'the guidevvays 15 tov direct the v4tilesinto the same. 'inwardly of the guidew'ays 15 the guide 14 is provided'at oppositefsid'es thereof with shoulders 17, and the adjacent sides' of the guides 13' are provided with arcuate portions "18 Whose centers are'the vrespective shoulders 17 and which are of a radius slightly greater'than thelength of the-tiles.

inwardly of ysaid Ashoulders kant'i'arcuate'portions 13 the'edges of theguides 13 'and 111 are so spaced as to form gu'i'de'ivays 1S) between them to receive 'the tiles'sideivise.4

Arranged' at the vadjacent edges of the guides 13 and 14 on opposite sides of the' guideivays 15 are a plurality lof setsr of abradingontile fettling 'devices'SO and Q0 whicliare adapted to successively engage the tileasthey are received 'from't-lie tile press.

The abrxading'devices 30 are of a construe# tion to remove the major portion of the ei;-

cess material or dust on the edges ofthe tile with a minimum impedance to the movement of Vthe tile, While the `abrad1ng' devices Y, 2O are designed to removethe remainder of the dust andlsmooth and finshthe said edges.

The vdevices 30 comprise hubs Sl'formed yivith Y radially projecting flexible strips 32 lof'lany A'angle fof substantially 45o.

Ways '15,"` as'clearlyf'shown in Figures 1 and 3, and are lixedly mounted on a shaft 83 journaled in bearings 34 on opposite sides'of the frame ofthe machine. The shaft 33 is revolved ina direction 'opposite to'that of the-movement of the conveyor?)V by means of a .belt '35 and pulleys 36 and 37 mounted respectively onthe shaft 3 3 and a'counter shaft 38,' which 'is also provided `ivithapulley 39 driven by a belt 210 from 1 any suitable source ofl povve'r.

"The'abrading devices 20 comprise "body portions :21 which are secured to'the rei specti-ve `guidts 13"a1 id 14 in any suitable manner at substantially 'an angle of 45, the body portions '21 on 4opposite sides of the guidevvays converging inwardly toward each' other. Abrasive elements 22 are detachably secured to Vthe{undersides of the body portion 21, the saidabrasive elements being Apreferably of laminated(construction including strips of hard fiber and sand paper With the sand paper positioned outermost, as'

described in my above-'mentioned co-pending application. Any other suitable tile fettling devices may be used, however, in place of the devices 20. As shown on the drawings there are two sets of devices 2O arrangedin spaced relation longitudinally ofthe guide'ways land atthe rear'of the devices 30 so that'the tile are engaged by the devices 20 afterV having been operated upon by the devices'BO.

VThe upper' reach ofthe belt 3 travels in the direction indicated bythe arrows on Figure 1 in order to carrythe tile B away from the pressA. As the tile are carried through fthe guidevvays l'the longitudinal upper edges thereof are brought 'into engagement With the abrasive devices 30, as clearly shown in Figure 3. These abrasive devices 'are constantly'revolving at a rapid rate, and the beveled ends 320 ofthe strips 32 scrape With a shearing action the major portion of the excess dust from'the edges of the tile. The tile are then carried by the It may be desirable in some instances to provide means for increasing the frictional engagement of the tile with the conveyor 3 as the tile are passed beneath the abrading devices so as to prevent the resistance caused by the engagement of the abrading devices with the tile Jfrom. stopping the movement of the tile. For this purpose I may utilize a plurality of soft idle rollers 41 mounted on shafts 42 journaled in bearings 43 at opposite sides of the frame of the machine, these rollers being so positioned above the belt 3 as to engage the tops of the tile as they pass beneath the abrading devices, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The tendency of these rollers is to force the tile into tight frictional engagement with the belt so as to overcome the resistance t0 the movement of the -tile produced by the abrading devices. Some tile manufacturers lpress their tile with longitudinally concave faces to compensate for warping when the tiles are baked, andy these soft rollers 41 have been found to enable such tiles to be as easily fettled as straight edged tiles since the pressure of the rollers serves to force the ends of the tiles downward or tilts the tiles so that the abrading members engage the curved edges ofthe tiles with even pressure throughout the length of said edges and the edges are evenly fettled from end to end. Y

It is desirable to enable the pressure exerted by these rollers to be adjusted to ensure against injury to the tile, such 'gas crushing. For this purpose the shafts 42 may be journaled in bearing blocks 44 slidable in guideways 45 in the bearings 43, the blocks 44 being balanced by springs 46. An adjusting screw 47 is provided in each of the bearings 43 for moving the shafts 42 toward the conveyor 3 or permitting the shafts to be moved away from the conveyor by the springs 46. With this 'construction it will be noted that the rollers 41 exert a yielding pressure through the ysprings 46 on the tops of the tiles, and that this pressure may be adjusted by means 'i of the screws 47. Y Y

After the tile B pass through the guideways 15 they are carried by the belt 3 into engagement with the shoulders 17 on the guide 14. Longitudinal movement of the tiles with the belt is thus interrupted, and the movement of the belt in connection with the engagement of the shoulders 17 with one corner of a tile causes the 'tile to be swung in its own plane about the shoulder as a pivot, as shown in Figure 1, so that the tile is positioned crosswise of the belt. In this position the tile are conveyed by the belt into the guideways 19, and a plurality ofsets of abrasive devices 50 and 51 identi` cal in constructions with the devices 30 and 2O are arranged on opposite sides of the guideways 19 to smooth the rough end edges of the tile. The revoluble abrading devices 50 are mounted on a shaft 53 and are driven through a belt 54 and pulleys 55 and 56 from the shaft 38, in exactly the same manner as the abrading devices 30 are driven. Idle rollers 52 identical in construction with the 'rollers 41, are also provided forincreasing the .frictional engagement of the tile with the conveyor as the tile pass beneath the abrading devices 51.

During the engagement of the edges of the tile with the respective abrasive devices 30, 20, 50 and 51 a portion of the material removed from the edges is deposited on the top of the tiles,- and it is necessary that this material be removed before the tile are glazed and baked. For thev purpose of removing this dust I mount a revolving brush 57 O over the guideways 19 to engage the top of the tile after theyhave 'passed between the abrasive members 51. This brush is mounted on a shaft 57 journaled in bearings 58 at opposite sides of theV frame of the machine, said shaft being provided with a pulley 59 over which passes a belt 60 driven from a pulley 61 driven from the same source of power as is the conveyor 3. Idler pulleys 62 are provided for guiding the belt downwardly from the pulley 59 along the side of the frame of the machine in'an outof-the-way position. The bristles of the brush are preferably ofcamels hair, and the brush revolves in a direction opposite to that of the movement of the conveyor belt 3 so that the bristles effectively remove excess material from the top of the tile which travel beneath the same. It will be understood that the frictional engagement of the tile .with the conveyor belt is all. that ensures proper lmovement of the tile throughY theguideways 15 and 19, and it is therefore necessary to have a lightly engaging brush, such as that kabove described for removing the material from the tops of the tile without impeding the movement of the tile with the conveyor 3. After the tile pass out of the guideways 19 they are conveyed by the belt 3 to a' suitable point where they are removed and Carried through the next operal tion in the manufacture of tile.

In Figure 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of abrading device which is substantially identical with the devices shown in Figures 1 and 5, with the exception that the ends of the strips 32 are provided with curved notches 63 for engaging the edges of the tile so that said edges when finished are rounded instead of angularly beveled. It will be understood that the abrading devices 20 at each side of the guideways may be arranged at different angles to the tile so as to form the edges of the tile with two angularly disposed'bevels instead of one bevel at substantially 45. With 'more than Vtwo of thepabrading devices A2O arranged at different angles the edges ofthe tile may be substantially rounded.

While I have shown and -describedpone `possible embodiment vofmy invention, it Will tion and vuse of my invention-except as required by the following claims when construedin the light of thep'rior art.

-Having thus vdescribed the l.invention what l claim is:

l.. A machine for fettlingtilefbe-,fore they are tired, comprising a support toreceive tile andra plurality of tile fettling devices relatively positioned tol cause successive fettling engagements ofsaid vfettling devices with the'edge of said tile upon relative movement ofY saidsupport and -said fettlingdevices, the said fettling' device first engagedfbysaid tile removing the majorportion of the Asurplus material from the edgeof Athe tileand theaothers of said fettling:devicesfsmootliing and lfinishing said edge, andmeans for producing said relative movement of 'saidfsupport andsaid fettlingldevices.

2. 4Aniachine for fettling tile `Vbefore Vthey are fired, ,comprising a frame, a=support to receiverftile, a revolvable tile fettling device mountedon said frame, asecond tile fettling device iXedly mountedon, said frame, Isaid fettling devices'and said support being rela tively positioned to cause successive fettling engagement of an edge of the tile With-said revolfvable fettling-device and saidsecondmentioned 4fettling device upon Arelative movement-ofsaid support and-,said fettling devices, said first-mentioned' fettling device removingy the major portion -of the surplus material from said edge of the'tile-and said second-mentioned fettling device engaging said tile With a.rubbing.contact-tosmooth and finish said edgeand means for producing said relative-movement of said'support and said v fettling devices.

3., A machine for fettling tile before they are fired, comprising ya support toqreceive tile and a revolvable tile fettling device relatively positioned to cause fettling engagem'ent of saidfettling device With `the edge of a tile upon relative movement of said support'and said fettling` device, said fettling'device being revolvable ina-:plane substantially parallel-With said edge: ofthe tile, means fori'evolving said fettlingY device in a direction opposite to that of saidrelativel movement `of said support and said fettling device, and means for producingv said relative movement of said support/.and said fettling device. f

4. i machine foi-,fettling tile before they are iii-ed, comprising a support' to yreceivetile strips being arrangedwedgewise longitudinally ofsaid hub and transversely ofsaid edge oi thetile, means for revolving said fettling device in a Hdirection opposite to that offsaid relative movementlof said support and saidfettling device, and means for producing saidrelative movement of ysaid support yand said -fettling device.l

A machine for fettling tile before theyk arepired, comprising a supportto receive tile and a revolvable tile fettling device relatively Epositioned .to cause fettling engagement of Vsaid fettling device ivith the edge of aitile upon relative moveinent lof j movement ofsaid support and said fettling device, and means for producing saidvrela-l tivemovement of said support tiing device. Y

6. A machine for fettlingftile before they are fired, comprising a support to receive tile anda ievolvable tile fettling device relatively positioned to cause fett-ling engagement of said fettling device Vwiththe-edge ofa tile upon relative movement of said support and said lfettling device, said fett-ling device including a hub portion and aplurality ofiiexible strips iiXed in said hub fand projecting iradially therefrom, said strips having :their free ends beveled to bevel the corner edge of the tile, means for revolving saidr fettlingl device in a direction opposite to lthat of said relative movement of' said support and said fettling device, andmeans for producing said relative movement of saidsupport and said fettlingdevice.

I7. A. machine for fettling'tilebefore,they are ired,comprising a support to receive tile and a revolvable ltile fettling device relatively positioned lto .causefettling engagemen'tfofsaidffettling device Withl the edge of :a tile'upon relative movementiof said support andrsaid fettling device, said fetand said .fet-

and projecting Y, radially therefrom, f said i device in a direction opposite to that of said relative movement of said support and said ff fettling device, and means for producing said relative movement of said support and said fettling device. i

8. A tile fettling machine including a frame` a movable tile support mounted on said frame to receive a tile, a guideway above said support to cause said tile to move in a predetermined path, a tile fettling device mounted on said frame at onev side of said guideway to have a fettling engagement with the corner edge of a tile as the same is moved by said tile support and revolvable in a plane substantially parallel With said edge, and means for revolving said fettling device in a direction opposite to that of the movement of said support.

9. A tile fettling machine including a frame, a movable tile support mounted on said frame to receive a tile, a guidevvay above said support to cause said tile to move in a predetermined path, a tile fettling device mounted on said frame at one side of said guideivay and including a hub having a plurality of radially projecting flexible strips thereon to engage the corner edge of a u tile as the same 1s moved by said support and revolvable in a plane substantially parallel With said edge, said strips being disposed transversely of said edge, and means for revolving said fettling device in a direction opposite to that of the movement of said support.

10. A tile fettling machine including an endless belt conveyor to receive tile and convey the same by frictional engagement, means for driving said conveyor, a tile fettling device to engage an edge of said tile as the tile is moved by said conveyor, and a soft idler roller to engage the top of said tileV as the same is engaged by said tile fettling device to press said tile against said conveyor belt to tilt a tile having a Warped surface so that said tile fettling device fett-les the tile edge evenly throughout the length thereof.

Il. A tile fettling machine including an endless belt conveyor to receive tile and convey the same by frictional engagement, means for driving said conveyor, a tile fettling device to engage an edge of said tile as the tile is moved by said conveyor, a soft idler roller to engage the top of said tile as the same is engaged by said'tile fettling device to press said tile against said conveyor belt to tilt a tile having a Warped surface so that said tile fettling device fettles the tile edge evenly throughout the length thereof, and means for adjustably mounting said roller to vary the pressure thereof on said tile.

ANTHONY W. CRISTIANI. 

